Diorama: planning statistics

Economics, logistics, resources (time, effort, manpower)

For the rest of the text we will talk about quality, detailed dioramas. Diorama: planning statistics

Size standard

• We have standard sizes of our colab dioramas (colab means everyone from club who desire can take part of planning and building and contribute with mocs)
• Our standard sizes are: (in 48x48): 1x2, 2x4, 8x4

we also play with 2x2 and 4x4 sometimes

Why standard sizes? So people can plan, and so we can reuse our glassed illuminated displays

time building

• For 1x2 Diorama, we need one week to build it. We could squeeze 2x4 in two weeks setup
• Two persons can setup 100 m2 event in four days, if the rest of logistic is prepared (so, just creations)
• Two persons can setup 1000 baseplates in two weeks. This includes very complicated figures, statues and constructions.
• This means that 4 people can do it within a week, and 14 people can do it within one day (which is about right)

parts price

• for one baseplate, we need around 100 to 200 eur of pieces, including baseplates, sets, rare parts, particular parts, underlying construction, makeup

Shipping

• One 1x2 Diorama usually fits 3 of our standard 20cm tall boxes, although this can vary a lot. With our experience, you need three largest vans that are semi-truck semi van to transport area of 1000 baseplates. This is van with cover, like truck.
• To transport one of those semi-trucks you need around 1eur per 1 km, including everything in the price, renting a truck, driver, taxes, documents for border crossing, gasoline, road taxes, lodging for driver etc. Note that this price can go 50% down with good bargaining and more frequent transport.

Storage:

• To storage 300 surface area baseplates, using our custom boxes, you need 20 of our custom cupboards that hold 22 48x48 20c, height custom boxes => for 1000 you need 60 of them. You can build 6 for 100-150 eur, so the complete storage area is not more then 1000-1500 eur, with all the gear (wheels, etc)
• Surface area needed: one custom cupboard takes 0.5x1m, so two are on one square meter. Meaning you would need 30 m2 for 1000 baseplates area (which is about right), with our customs boxes and smart stacking. Height: 2m
• Ratio of custom boxes is 2:3:1 (48x48 sizes: 10cm:20cm: 60cm height). From the whole number 10% are 32x32 (30cm height) boxes.
• For 1000 baseplates approximate price for custom boxes is 400 eur

Replacement:

• we can usually replace 300 baseplates within 18 months (year and a half) note: this is our hobby and each has a regular job, so timetable can look strange sometimes

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This means that for 1000 colab baseplates we have or have planned, we have used (or will use):

• 62 months to build (5 years, about right)
• between100.000 and 200.000 eur of bricks (about right)
• 1000 baseplates equals around 70 dioramas all together

This literary means we can transport 5000 m2 event (just counting creations) 1000 km away for 1500 eur, set it up (just creations) in four days, if eight persons are setting up (usually that is the number), and packaging and storage would cost around 2000 eur back at home. Note that our cupboard boxes can be used for decade if handled properly.

Finance has always been an issue in our country. Not always, but in last two decades. So, if we wanted to be part of global moc scene, we had to innovate and find ways to present same quality, but for less price. This is how our packing was invented, which saves A TON on transport, and byproduct is that 99% of things survive trip (amazingly helpful when setting up)

Our real investment was 20.000 eur, five years of experience trough building, rebuilding and innovating, 100-200 events and a lot of time in finding routes and deals, but, today, we have 1000 baseplates (around 5000 m2 of event with counted areas for playground and workshops) with no credits and no owning.

Imagine that :)

And we are not smarter or more resourceful from you. So all you need to do same and better - set your goals and slowly go towards them :)